Read Online the Strong Shall Live (Ss) (1980) by Louis L'amour - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Louis L'amour
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beaten a horse to death before anyone could interfere. He disliked the man, and it disturbed him to see how McKesson's eyes followed Candy every move she made. The light in them was not good to see.
Joe Stangle got up, satisfaction showing in his eyes and voice. "We can meet at Willow SpringsMonday morning. Once The Fence is down and the cattle started for water there will be no stop-pin' them."
Candy watched, feeling sick and empty. She wanted to protest but knew they would not listen. Their own desperation coupled with Stangle's hatred and Dulin's sullen brutality had led them into something most of them would live to regret. Now they were only thinking about delaying their bad times. One by one they filed out and when they had gone she turned on her father.
"Dad, you've got to stop them I You can't let them destroy all that poor boy's work!"
"Poor boy, is it? He's got no right to all that water when our cattle are dying!"
"Who dammed those draws? What have you done to try to save your cattle? All you've done is sit here with the rest of them and sneer at what he thought and what he did!"
"Be quiet!" Drake's voice boomed, his guilt making him even more angry. "I won't have you takin' up for that Mexican. Nor is it your place to question my actions."
"Dad"--Candy's tone was cold--"You'd better understand this. Barry Merrano will fight. If he fights, somebody will get killed. If I were you I'd do a lot of thinking before you start anything. It isn't like it was when you drove out those rustlers. The country has changed."
Despite himself, he knew what she said was the truth. He shook his head irritably. "Nonsense! He's yellow! He won't fight."
He hesitated, thinking. Then he said, "He won't fight. Joe Stangle made a fool of him and he did nothing, nothing at all!"
"Then you'd better go out to the bunkhouse and take a look at Price Taylor. Price thought he wouldn't fight, too."
"What? What do you mean?"
"Barry rode home with me tonight and was leaving me at the gate. He had been a gentleman, no more. Price jumped him, and Barry gave him a beating."
"He whupped Price? Girl, you're crazy!" "Go look at him. Ask Price if he's yellow. Also, I seem to remember you tried to frighten him away before, and he didn't run. He had only an idea to fight for then. Now he's got a place worth having!"
She paused. "Remember this, Dad. He'll fight, and somebody will get killed."
"Bah!" Drake said, but he was disturbed. She knew her father well enough to know that he bad not liked the action taken tonight, yet these were the men he knew, men he had worked beside, men with whom he had shared trouble. He had gone along because it offered a way out of bankruptcy and failure, and because there seemed no alternative.
Tom Drake had fought Indians, outlaws, and rustlers, and now he would fight to hold the place, but he knew in his heart that if he were Merrano, he would fight. He did not approve of killing and he believed Merrano would run, yet now, listening to his daughter, he was no longer so sure.
"Dad?" Candy spoke quietly. "I want you to understand. If you go through with this I'll go and fight beside Barry Merrano. I will take a rifle and stand beside him and what happens to him will happen to me."
"What!"He stared at his daughter, consternation in his eyes. In that instant he looked not only into his daughter's eyes but into those of his wife, and something more, he saw a reflection of himself, thirty years before.
Without another word, Candy turned and left the room. The big old man behind her stared after her, hurt, confusion, and doubt struggling in his mind. He sat down suddenly in the big hide chair. Suddenly he felt old and tired, staring into the fire, trying to think things out and seeing only his dying cattle and the failure of all he had done.
The cracked mud in the dried-up water holes, the leafless trees, all his years, all his struggle, all his work and his plans gone.
That was Friday night. Early Saturday morning
Joe Stangle got up, satisfaction showing in his eyes and voice. "We can meet at Willow SpringsMonday morning. Once The Fence is down and the cattle started for water there will be no stop-pin' them."
Candy watched, feeling sick and empty. She wanted to protest but knew they would not listen. Their own desperation coupled with Stangle's hatred and Dulin's sullen brutality had led them into something most of them would live to regret. Now they were only thinking about delaying their bad times. One by one they filed out and when they had gone she turned on her father.
"Dad, you've got to stop them I You can't let them destroy all that poor boy's work!"
"Poor boy, is it? He's got no right to all that water when our cattle are dying!"
"Who dammed those draws? What have you done to try to save your cattle? All you've done is sit here with the rest of them and sneer at what he thought and what he did!"
"Be quiet!" Drake's voice boomed, his guilt making him even more angry. "I won't have you takin' up for that Mexican. Nor is it your place to question my actions."
"Dad"--Candy's tone was cold--"You'd better understand this. Barry Merrano will fight. If he fights, somebody will get killed. If I were you I'd do a lot of thinking before you start anything. It isn't like it was when you drove out those rustlers. The country has changed."
Despite himself, he knew what she said was the truth. He shook his head irritably. "Nonsense! He's yellow! He won't fight."
He hesitated, thinking. Then he said, "He won't fight. Joe Stangle made a fool of him and he did nothing, nothing at all!"
"Then you'd better go out to the bunkhouse and take a look at Price Taylor. Price thought he wouldn't fight, too."
"What? What do you mean?"
"Barry rode home with me tonight and was leaving me at the gate. He had been a gentleman, no more. Price jumped him, and Barry gave him a beating."
"He whupped Price? Girl, you're crazy!" "Go look at him. Ask Price if he's yellow. Also, I seem to remember you tried to frighten him away before, and he didn't run. He had only an idea to fight for then. Now he's got a place worth having!"
She paused. "Remember this, Dad. He'll fight, and somebody will get killed."
"Bah!" Drake said, but he was disturbed. She knew her father well enough to know that he bad not liked the action taken tonight, yet these were the men he knew, men he had worked beside, men with whom he had shared trouble. He had gone along because it offered a way out of bankruptcy and failure, and because there seemed no alternative.
Tom Drake had fought Indians, outlaws, and rustlers, and now he would fight to hold the place, but he knew in his heart that if he were Merrano, he would fight. He did not approve of killing and he believed Merrano would run, yet now, listening to his daughter, he was no longer so sure.
"Dad?" Candy spoke quietly. "I want you to understand. If you go through with this I'll go and fight beside Barry Merrano. I will take a rifle and stand beside him and what happens to him will happen to me."
"What!"He stared at his daughter, consternation in his eyes. In that instant he looked not only into his daughter's eyes but into those of his wife, and something more, he saw a reflection of himself, thirty years before.
Without another word, Candy turned and left the room. The big old man behind her stared after her, hurt, confusion, and doubt struggling in his mind. He sat down suddenly in the big hide chair. Suddenly he felt old and tired, staring into the fire, trying to think things out and seeing only his dying cattle and the failure of all he had done.
The cracked mud in the dried-up water holes, the leafless trees, all his years, all his struggle, all his work and his plans gone.
That was Friday night. Early Saturday morning
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